2 Minute Theology

by Joe Holland • January 14, 2016

For most of us, talking for two minutes in an informed manner about any subject can be difficult. What helps is having already walked over topics in your mind and committing some sort of summary to memory. The Bible does this at several points and allows itself to be so summarized at even more points.

There was a community service requirement for my high school, designed to make us well-rounded individuals, padding our college applications, and ensuring that local community organization didn’t think too poorly of “kids these days.” As a soon-to-graduate senior I quickly discovered that serving as a docent at a local marine science museum counted under the criteria for community service. It seemed like a good fit, after all, I was fascinated with all things oceanic and couldn’t wait to graduate. The only thing that stood in my way was the interview.

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Christward Collective is a conversation of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Christward Collective and the mission of the Alliance.

Salvation By Grace Alone - Part 4

By James Boice

Theme: The Christian’s Present: Saved by Grace

This week’s lessons describe how God’s grace in salvation impacts the Christian’s past, present, and future.

Scripture: Ephesians 2:4-8

The Christian's past is a dreadful thing, as it also is for all who have not believed on Jesus Christ. But at this point the grace of God comes in. For having spoken of the Christian's past, Paul now speaks of the Christian's present, saying, “But [now] because of his great love for us, God who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved” (vv. 4-8).

Think and Act Biblically from James Boice is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Think and Act Biblically and the mission of the Alliance.

How to Interpret the Bible

Posted 1/14/16 by Donald Barnhouse

The Word belongs to the Lord and He can use it as He pleases. He can expand it and so use it to give it new depths of meaning as time passes. A Christian asked if it were possible to get blessing out of verses that, in their literal interpretation, did not apply to present circumstances at all. I answered:

How to Interpret the Bible

The Word belongs to the Lord and He can use it as He pleases. He can expand it and so use it to give it new depths of meaning as time passes. A Christian asked if it were possible to get blessing out of verses that, in their literal interpretation, did not apply to present circumstances at all. I answered:

The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is member supported and operates only by your faithful support. Thank you.

Salvation By Grace Alone - Part 3

By James Boice

Theme: The Christian’s Sad Past

This week’s lessons describe how God’s grace in salvation impacts the Christian’s past, present, and future.

Scripture: Ephesians 2:4-8

Yesterday we looked at the first thing Paul says about the Christian’s past condition. We now need to see the other three.

The sinner is actively practicing evil. There is something even worse about the biblical view of man, according to this passage. Human beings are spiritually dead, according to verse 1. But this is a strange kind of death since, although the sinner is dead, he is nevertheless up and about, actively practicing sin. What Paul says about him is that he “follow[s] the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air...gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts.” To put it differently, the sinner is indeed dead to God but nevertheless very much alive to all wickedness.

Think and Act Biblically from James Boice is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Think and Act Biblically and the mission of the Alliance.

How to Understand the Bible

Posted 1/13/16 by Donald Barnhouse

The shortest road to an understanding of the Bible is the acceptance of the fact that God is speaking in every line. The shortest road to the knowledge of the will of God is the willingness to do that will even before we know it. If we expect the voice of God to speak to us when we open the Bible, and have asked the Holy Spirit to bless it to us, we will find that He will undoubtedly answer that prayer. The Holy Spirit cannot feed us, though, if we have allowed known sin to come between us and Him.

How to Understand the Bible

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Worth It

by Jason Helopoulos • January 12, 2016

There has never been a Christian laying on his deathbed wishing that he had never given himself to the Kingdom, or held a little more back from the Kingdom, kept a little more in reserve, been a little less passionate, a little less serious about his faith, a little less concerned about the things of God, a little less time spent with Christ, and a little more selfish, a little more worldy, been a little more invested in a few other things.

When individuals embark upon a life of discipleship in Christ, they commence a life of sacrifice. Our Lord said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). This fills some with hesitation. Yet, what we forsake is mere trifles compared to the treasure we receive. The treasure and joy we gain in the present--and which awaits us in eternity--far surpasses all that we may lose in this life.

The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is member supported and operates only by your faithful support. Thank you.

Christward Collective is a conversation of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Christward Collective and the mission of the Alliance.

Salvation By Grace Alone - Part 2

By James Boice

Theme: The Christian’s Past, Present, and Future

This week’s lessons describe how God’s grace in salvation impacts the Christian’s past, present, and future.

Scripture: Ephesians 2:4-8

Here is another way of looking at it. Chapter one gives us the past, present, and future of God's great plan of salvation. Chapter two gives us the past, present, and future of the persons Jesus saves. This reminds me of one of Harry Ironside's most delightful stories. Ironside was a Bible teacher, and later pastor of Moody Memorial Church in Chicago. On this particular occasion he was riding on a train in southern California on the way to a speaking engagement. While he was sitting in the passenger car a gypsy came down the aisle offering to tell people's fortunes. She stopped at Ironside's seat, saying, “Cross my palm with a silver quarter, and I will tell your past, present, and future.”

Think and Act Biblically from James Boice is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Think and Act Biblically and the mission of the Alliance.

How to Read the Bible for Profit

Posted 1/12/16 by Donald Barnhouse

Read your Bible slowly. Take time, even if you have but little time. Give God the opportunity to talk back to you. This is the most important part of Bible study. When you merely plow through the Scriptures, letting your brain have full play over the text, making decisions as to what it means, and incorporating it into the corpus of your theology, it is comparatively worthless for spiritual results.

How to Read the Bible for Profit

The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is member supported and operates only by your faithful support. Thank you.

Salvation By Grace Alone - Part 1

By James Boice

Theme: Ephesians 1 and 2

This week’s lessons describe how God’s grace in salvation impacts the Christian’s past, present, and future.

Scripture: Ephesians 2:4-8

The second chapter of Ephesians contains one of the best known passages in the Bible, and rightly so. It contains the best news that any man or woman can ever hear. With the exception of John 3:16 and possibly Psalm 23, it is probably the Bible passage which has been most memorized by Christians. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Ephesians 2:8, 9 say the same thing though in more theological language: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Think and Act Biblically from James Boice is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Think and Act Biblically and the mission of the Alliance.

Bible Reading for Busy People

Posted 1/11/16 by Donald Barnhouse

Many people complain that they do not have time to read the Bible as much as they would like. In Boston, Lydia Roberts provided readers of The Globe with this excellent summary of "How to Get Time to Read a Book":

1. Talk less.
2. Carry a book in your bag.
3. Put a book under your pillow at night; if you can't sleep, read.
4. Wake up 15 minutes earlier every morning and read...

Bible Reading for Busy People

Many people complain that they do not have time to read the Bible as much as they would like.

In Boston, Lydia Roberts provided readers of The Globe with this excellent summary of "How to Get Time to Read a Book":

1. Talk less.
2. Carry a book in your bag.

The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is member supported and operates only by your faithful support. Thank you.

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